The average bladder cancer patient is an older male who has smoked, worked with certain chemicals or has a family history of bladder cancer. Does that mean you can’t have bladder cancer?

That’s what Krysta thought. She’s a 37-year-old woman who has never smoked or worked in an industry associated with the risk of bladder cancer, and has no family history of bladder cancer. So, when she was diagnosed with bladder cancer, she was shocked. Bladder Cancer Canada's Tawny Barratt talked with Krysta about her experience and what she would recommend to other women.

For Krysta, her experience is a powerful lesson she wants to share with all women.

“What the urologist told me is so important that, as women, UTI’s are common, very common, and when we go to the doctor and… they immediately put women on antibiotics and then send you on your way. And then they just continue to do that repeatedly over and over and over. And it’s not addressing what’s actually going on.

Krysta advises to listen to your body and know when something’s not right. She was lucky her doctor was so proactive and pushed ahead with other other tests. Even though she did not fit the typical profile of a bladder cancer patient.

This podcast is generously sponsored by Bristol Myers Squibb, Pfizer Canada and EMD Serono.